


emptiness to melody

by rawrimmapanda



Category: Men's Hockey RPF
Genre: Alternate Universe - Soulmates, First Kiss, Getting Together, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-06-16
Updated: 2019-06-16
Packaged: 2020-05-13 03:42:20
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,110
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19243123
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/rawrimmapanda/pseuds/rawrimmapanda
Summary: Jake knew that the random sore spots were something. He just didn't know what from exactly. After a trip to the doctor he sets off on a mission to find out who is soulmate is.





	emptiness to melody

**Author's Note:**

  * In response to a prompt by [eichart](https://archiveofourown.org/users/eichart/pseuds/eichart) in the [PuckingRare2019](https://archiveofourown.org/collections/PuckingRare2019) collection. 



> **Prompt:**
> 
>  
> 
>  
> 
> Soulmates AU — They get each other’s injuries (variations thereof welcome)
> 
> Jake plays a physical game; Risto plays a physical game; they both fiercely protect the team. Yeah this ends well...
> 
> Bonus points for pining, obviousness, and working in Risto wearing Jake’s NTDP sweatshirt he stole in 2015.

Jake grumbled as he sat down in the too small chairs at the doctors office. The aches and pains he had been feeling as of late weren’t the same kind that you get from playing hockey the way he does. He knows how to play on the edge of physicality and knows his own aches and pains. These weren’t his and he couldn’t figure it out. He knew the NHL was tough, but this felt odd. 

 

“Jake?” 

 

The nurse looked around the room as Jake stood up to follow her. He gave a little wave, maybe a bit too midwestern for here, but she acknowledged him all the same. It had only taken a year, but he was finally trying to sort out the weird aches and pains he had been experiencing. 

 

Jake went through the normal tests they do when they check you out. His blood pressure was a bit high, but he was also stupidly anxious. After a few minutes the doctor entered the tiny room. 

 

“What seems to be the problem today?” The doctor asked with a comforting smile. 

 

As he explained to the doctor what was going on, he gave them what he thought was a thorough timeline and as he was outlining to the specialist what had happened he got stopped. 

 

“This is all great information, but have you bonded yet?”

 

Jake was taken aback. Soulbonding was generally a life changing moment. He thought for sure he would have noticed bonding with someone. 

 

“Maybe? I’m not sure really?”

 

The doctor pursed her lips making a slight humming sound. 

 

“Let’s start there. Often times when you bond, you’re able to feel what the other person is feeling and it would explain a lot. It’s quite common. You’ll have to find who you bonded with though. You must not have touched them if you did bond.”

 

The doctor made quick work of finding the soulbond testing strips. She called the nurse in to make a quick poke of Jake’s finger. 

 

“The test takes about 5 minutes to process” The nurse explained. Jake sat there watching the strip test develop. He couldn’t help but equate the process to what it must feel like finding out if you’re pregnant or not. 

 

After about 10 brutal minutes, the doctor returned and took a look at the test. 

 

“Congrats! You’ve bonded with someone!”

 

Jake’s eyes widened. He had no clue who it was, but whoever it was took a beating on a regular basis it seems. 

 

“What do I do about the aches and pains?” Jake left the question hanging in the air. The doctor smiled again. 

 

“Same thing you do about your aches and pains from hockey. Rest and anti inflammatory medications. Would you like a prescription for some?”

 

Jake waved the suggestion off. He knew he could just go to a trainer and ask for something, and he said so to the doctor. 

 

Before leaving she made a small suggestion. 

 

“With your timeline, it might be good to figure out what happened in January of 2013. Maybe you met them then and you didn’t know it.” 

 

Jake pondered that suggestion on his way home. He remembered that January pretty well. It was when he won the world juniors and was the captain of the team. The only emotions he remembered feeling was intense joy and happiness, which wouldn’t make sense for him. 

 

When he got home, he tossed his old NDTP hoodie on and went outside to hang out with the rest of his family. His brother was home and it was always great to spend time with him. They got a bonfire going and his mom sat next to him and quietly asked him how the doctors appointment went. 

 

“Well, I learned that I bonded with someone. I just don’t know when and where.”

 

Jake’s mom smiled and patted him on the shoulder. 

 

“I guess you’ll have to figure it out.” 

 

Jake nodded and turned back to the fire, chatting it up with the rest of his family. After a couple of hours, he got up and announced that he was headed to bed. Knowing that there was a soulmate out there waiting for him left him feeling empty. Soulmates were something he always wanted and now that he had one, unknowingly, it was a little depressing and hard to process. 

 

As he was lying in bed, he mentally went down the roster from the world junior team. There wasn’t a single person on that team that he didn’t touch, so that ruled out everyone on the team. It also single handedly ruled out all of the Swedish team. He clearly remembered shaking hands with everyone. It had to be a person on a team they didn’t play. 

 

That made it easier to figure it out he figured. The other group didn’t have many NHL regulars so he’d just cross reference. As he drifted off to sleep, he realized that it would make a good off-season project. 

***

 

The off season passed slowly and Jake had narrowed it down to a list of about  25 players, most of them Finnish. Since the US team didn’t play them but spent time around them, it made the most sense that his soulmate was someone Finnish. He made a mental note to ask some of his teammates about it. He remembered in his short 7 game stint Ristolainen played on that particular national team. He made a mental note to ask him during prospect development camp in the fall. 

 

Prospect development camp and preseason came and went and Jake didn’t have the courage to ask Rasmus about possible soulmates on the Finnish national team. He realized after being sent down to Rochester that he probably lost his shot at asking Rasmus for at least a season. He was still convinced it was someone in the NHL because his body would feel fine but he’d have sore spots on his ribcage, as if there were invisible bruises. 

 

Jake thought to ask the team doctors about a soulbond blocker but after some digging online, he learned that he wouldn’t be able to solidify the bond if he was taking those medications. To him, it wasn’t worth the risk of missing out on fate just to stop some phantom pains. 

 

Jake pushed through the season until late February, when he finally got called up to the big club. To say he was excited was an understatement. He was vibrating in his skin and as he was flying down the I-90 stretch of highway, he started to feel more and more elated. It was as if someone was taking over his emotions. He knew that this was his chance to see if Rasmus knew of any of the Finns soulbonding at world juniors. He had waited long enough. 

 

Jake felt more nervous than normal for his first game in the call up. He had 7 games played previously, but this felt different for some reason. As he was hanging out in his locker, he realized that this would be a perfect time to ask Rasmus about the soulbonds. The chatter of the locker room could make it easier to disguise. He reached out to tap Rasmus on the shoulder. As he did so, he felt a shock go through his whole body. 

 

“Well, I have my answer now.” Jake muttered. 

 

Rasmus turned around and smiled. 

 

“I found you!” Rasmus exclaimed as Jake’s initials started to ink themselves on Rasmus’s shoulder. 

 

Rasmus reached out and grabbed Jake’s arm, initiating the soulmark to ink itself on Jake’s skin. Jake looked down and saw a pair of R’s inscribe themselves on his skin. He couldn’t help but smile at Rasmus as it happened. 

 

“You did.”

They stared into each others eyes until they heard a small cough from across the room. 

 

“Lineups are set so you two will have to play through this new discovery.” 

 

They broke their stares and nodded at the coach, who had a fond smile on his face. 

 

“Now finish getting ready everyone, we got a game to win!”

 

The game was an unremarkable 2-1 win, but coach threw the newly bonded pair a bone by letting them play together. As they quietly filed off the ice after the loss, Jake felt Rasmus press his gloved hand against the small of his back. A shiver went down his spine as Rasmus leaned into him. 

 

“Stay with me tonight?”

 

Jake’s heart jumped into his throat and all he could do was nod in agreement. 

 

They mechanically changed out of their gear and showered like it was any other day. As Jake sat down next to Rasmus he felt himself relax, knowing he found his soulmate. The game didn’t mean anything, it finally happened. 

 

“Here is my address.” Rasmus handed Jake a piece of paper and Jake figured he could input it into Google maps.

 

Jake finished getting ready, being careful to not lose the piece of paper with the treasured address on it. As he looked over at Rasmus getting ready to leave, he realized he had some new sore spots on his body. It was oddly comforting to know where they came from now. 

 

Jake followed Rasmus out of the locker room and to the parking lot. They waved at the fans hanging out near the lot, signing a couple of hats quickly before leaving in separate cars. 

 

Rasmus beat him to the apartment building and Jake struggled to find some adequate parking. Eventually he wedged his car into a spot on the street and shrugged at the woman who watched him attempt to parallel park. 

 

Jake finally took a deep breath and headed inside the building. He fumbled getting the piece of paper out of his pocket, the writing was smudged a little from his sweaty hands. He couldn’t help but be nervous at what might happen. He punched in the numbers to be buzzed in. It rang twice and then he heard the door lock click open. He let himself in and went up the elevator. He knocked on the door and heard the shuffling of socked feet across carpet. 

 

The door opened and Rasmus was just standing there looking him up and down. He gestured for Jake to come in and Jake closed the door behind him. The apartment was furnished haphazardly and Jake spotted a decently sized kitchen. At least his soulmate seemed down to earth and not too stuck up. 

 

“Is this weird to you too?” Jake blurted out, unsure what else to say. 

 

Rasmus pondered his words for a moment before speaking. 

 

“No. I hoped it was you. Took you long enough to figure it out” 

 

Jake was taken aback at that. 

 

“I didn’t figure anything out. I was just going to ask you a question and it happened,” Jake said with a small chuckle. He continued on, a bit more confused. 

 

“Why me? I’m a nobody.”

 

Rasmus smiled but looked a little sad. 

 

“We’re the same. Rough and tough. Plus you’re pretty cute.”

 

Jake started to blush, the flush and heat of it spreading down his body. Rasmus took a step forward and cupped Jakes face, leaning in slowly. Jake closed his eyes and surged up the four inch height difference. 

 

To say it was magical would be an understatement. For Jake, it felt as if the world aligned and fireworks were going off in his brain. They fit perfectly together and it felt like the start of something magical and perfect. 

 

***

  
  


Jake got sent back to Rochester after just another game. The rest of the season passed without a hitch. Jake and Rasmus did a lot of texting back and forth, plus a little bit of Skype sex. Whenever they had days off that matched up, one or the other would make the drive to see the other. 

 

It wasn’t until the next pre-season they finally agreed that Jake would just live with Rasmus. It made the most sense since Jake made the team out of camp. They celebrated by having a party with the young guys at their apartment. 

 

As Jake was finishing up in the kitchen, he saw Rasmus walk out in a hoodie and jeans. He squinted and noticed that it was his practically ancient national development team hoodie. It was stretched pretty tight across Rasmus’ body, sending a shiver down Jake’s spine. 

 

“That’s mine!” Jake hollered from the kitchen. 

 

“Nah, it’s mine now.” With that, Rasmus winked and went to the living room to hang out with the guys, who were making gagging sounds. 

 

Jake was happy and felt like his life was perfect, or at least he wouldn’t complain about fate anymore. 

  
  
  
  
  
  


**Author's Note:**

> I hope you enjoyed it!
> 
> As always, feedback/comments/questions are always welcomed!
> 
>  
> 
> Come join me on my [ tumblr!](https://jakemccabe.tumblr.com/)


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